The largest stages in the Twin Cities will be filled in the coming months with superstar pop acts (Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry), retro pairings (Kiss and Def Leppard, Rod Stewart and Santana) and plenty of reasons to spend time outside, from Soundset to Music in the Zoo to the Minnesota State Fair. Here's a look at what's on tap.

Lady Gaga

May 20: Something felt a bit off the last time we saw global pop star Lady Gaga, when she headlined the X in February 2013. As it turns out, she was in dire need of hip surgery and canceled the rest of the tour less than a week after her St. Paul show. She returns to town with a different problem: Her third album "Artpop" has struggled to land a major hit beyond "Applause." Still, the woman born Stefani Germanotta, is only 28, and she surely has a few more tricks up her sleeve. 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $202-$37; 800-745-3000 or xcelenergycenter.com.

Lady Gaga

Also see: Cherilyn Sarkisian -- aka Cher -- surely taught Gaga a thing or two about pop-star domination. In 2002, she embarked on her so-called Farewell Tour and visited town three times. Now, she returns to the Cities after an extended residency in Las Vegas. 7:30 p.m. June 11; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $133-$27.50; 888-929-7849 or targetcenter.com.

Kiss and Def Leppard

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Aug. 17: In the years since their supposed Farewell Tour, cartoon rockers Kiss have continued to tour on their own and on dual-headlining bills with such folks as Aerosmith and Motley Crue. Now, they're hitting the road with Def Leppard, a band that ruled the '80s and continues to be heard in strip clubs around the world. 7 p.m.; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $151-$49; 888-929-7849 or targetcenter.com.

May 25: Each year, the Rhymesayers-led Soundset Festival serves as the unofficial kickoff for summer on Memorial Day weekend. The lineup seems to get stronger each year. This time featuring locals (Atmosphere, Prof, Lizzo, Toki Wright) and major national acts (Wiz Khalifa, Nas, 2 Chainz, Cypress Hill) along with a custom car show, skateboard showdown and various DJ, rap and dance competitions. 11 a.m.; Canterbury Park Festival Field, 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee; $52; 866-777-8932 or soundsetfestival.com.

Also see: The Warped Tour offers a mix of punk, metal, hip-hop and electronic music on multiple stages, including Every Time I Die, Less Than Jake, Saves the Day, Of Mice and Men and Yellowcard. 11 a.m. July 20; Canterbury Park Festival Field, 1100 Canterbury Park, Shakopee; $35.50; 866-777-8932 or warpedtour.com.

Also see: Country star Trace Adkins and a '90s nostalgia package featuring Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray are on tap for the annual Lakefront Music Fest (July 18-19; Lakefront Park, Prior Lake), one of the summer's best deals at $20 for both nights. The lineups for two more outdoor traditions -- Rock the Garden (June 21-22; Walker Art Center, Mpls.) and Basilica Block Party (July 11-12; Basilica of St. Mary, Mpls.) -- will be announced soon. The same goes for the musical entertainment at the newly revived Taste of Minnesota (July 3-6; Harriet Island, St. Paul).

Backstreet Boys

June 10: Backstreet's coming back, this time with an old friend. The original five-piece lineup of the Backstreet Boys -- including Kevin Richardson, who quit in 2006 -- will hit the road this summer for a tour in support of its latest album, "In a World Like This." Canadian popster Avril Lavigne is also on the bill, which could mean her new husband, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, might be watching from the wings. 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $150-$29.50; 800-745-3000 or xcelenergycenter.com.

Also see: Some new pop acts are making the leap to large stages this summer, even though they don't have major hits yet, including Austin Mahone (7 p.m. Aug. 10; Target Center; $69-$29.50) and Fifth Harmony and Cimorelli (6:30 p.m. Aug. 24; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand; $30-$20).

Bruno Mars

June 21: Last summer, R&B star Bruno Mars blew the roof off the X with a terrific soldout performance that showcased his suave style, impressive stage presence and ever-growing catalog of hits ("Grenade," "Just the Way You Are," "Locked Out of Heaven," "When I Was Your Man," "Treasure"). The show drew so much local buzz that tickets are pretty much all gone for his encore performance. 8 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $102-$45; 800-745-3000 or xcelenergycenter.com.

Also see: Pop star Katy Perry's fame has cooled a bit with her latest album, "Prism," although she did manage to land her ninth No. 1 single with "Dark Horse." Super-hot country star Kacey Musgraves opens. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $127.50-$29.50; 888-929-7849 or targetcenter.com.

Kid Rock

Aug. 23: Detroit's Kid Rock has maintained one of the more unlikely careers, starting out as an unsuccessful rapper in the '90s before transitioning into the rap/rock mode for his 1998 11-times-platinum breakthrough, "Devil Without a Cause." Since then, he has stretched into country and Southern rock while solidifying his reputation as a dynamic live performer. 7:30 p.m.; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, 1265 Snelling Ave. N., Falcon Heights; $66.50-$51.50; 800-514-3849 or mnstatefair.org.

Also see: The State Fair also has booked the annual Happy Together Tour (Aug. 25; $21), Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds to Mars (Aug. 26; $81-$51), Tim McGraw (Aug. 27; $71-$56) and "A Prairie Home Companion" (Aug. 29; $32-$25) with additional headliners to be announced.

"Jesus Christ Superstar"

July 31: One of the weirdest arena shows to hit town in years is this supersized tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar." The cast includes Brandon Boyd of the '90s rock band Incubus as Judas Iscariot, 'N Sync vocalist JC Chasez as Pontius Pilate, Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child as Mary Magdalene and punk legend John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon as King Herod. (Time and ticket details to be announced.) Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; 800-745-3000 or xcelenergycenter.com.

Also see: Nothing. There will be nothing else like this in the Twin Cities this summer.